אָמַר לֵיהּ רִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר, הַאי קְרָא דִּכְתִיב, (ירמיהו י׳:ז׳) מִי (שמות צ"ה ע"ב) לא יִרָאֲךָ מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם כִּי לְךָ יָאָתָה, מַאי שְׁבָחָא אִיהוּ. אָמַר לֵיהּ אֶלְעָזָר בְּרִי, הַאי קְרָא בְּכַמָּה דוּכְתֵּי אִתְּמָר, אֲבָל וַדַּאי לָאו אִיהוּ (נ"א הכי) דִּכְתִיב, (ירמיהו י׳:ז׳) כִּי בְכָל חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם וּבְכָל מַלְכוּתָם דְּהָא אֲתָא לְמִפְתַּח פּוּמָא דְחַיָּיבִין דְּחָשְׁבִין דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא לָא יְדַע הִרְהוּרִין וּמַחְשָׁבִין דִּילְהוֹן. וּבְגִין כָּךְ אִית לְאוֹדָעָא שְׁטוּתָא דִלְהוֹן. דְּזִמְנָא חָדָא אֲתָא פִּילוֹסוֹפָא חָדָא דְּאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם לְגַבָּאי, אָמַר לִי אַתּוּן אָמְרִין דֶּאֱלָהֲכוֹן שַׁלִּיט בְּכָל רוּמֵי שְׁמַיָא. כֻּלְהוּן חַיָּילִין וּמַשִּׁרְיָין לָא אִדַּבְּקָן וְלָא יָדְעֵי אֲתַר דִּילֵיהּ. הַאי קְרָא לָא אַסְגֵּי יְקָרֵיהּ כָּל כָּךְ. דִּכְתִיב כִּי בְכָל חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם וּבְכָל מַלְכוּתָם מֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ. מַאי שִׁיקּוּלָא דָא לִבְנֵי נָשָׁא דִּי לֵית לוֹן קִיּוּמָא. R. Eleazar said to his father: ‘Regarding what is written in the same passage, Who will not fear thee, O King of the Gentiles? For it befitteth thee (Jer. 10, 7), is this such a high eulogy?’ His father said to him: ‘Eleazar, my son, this passage has been variously explained, but for its full meaning we must go to its continuation, which reads: For among all the wise men of the Gentiles, and in all their royalty, there is none like unto thee. (Ibid.) The purpose of this verse is to express the view of the sinners, who fancy that God does not know their thoughts, and to answer them according to their folly. Once,’ he continued, ‘a Gentile philosopher came to visit me and argued with me thus: You say that your God rules in all the heights of heaven, and that all the heavenly hosts and legions cannot approach Him and do not know His place. If so, then this verse, saying “For among all the wise men of the Gentiles, and in all their royalty there is none like unto thee”, does not extol Him very highly, for what special glory is there for Him not to find among perishable men His like?
וְתוּ דְּאַתּוּן אָמְרִין (דברים לה) וְלא קָם נָבִיא עוֹד בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל כְּמשֶׁה, בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל לֹא קָם אֲבָל בְּאוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם קָם. אוּף הָכִי אֲנָא אֵימָא בְּכָל חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם אֵין כָּמוֹהוּ, אֲבָל בְּחַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אִית. אִי הָכִי אֱלָהָא דְאִית בְּחַכְמֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּוָותֵיהּ לָאו אִיהוּ עִלָּאָה שַׁלִּיטָא. אִסְתַּכַּל בַּקְּרָא וְתִשְׁכַּח דְּדַיִּיקְנָא כְּדְקָא יְאוּת. And further, you infer from the passage which says “And there hath not arisen a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses” (Deut. 34, 10), that only in Israel hath there not arisen, but among the other nations of the world there did arise one like him; and on this analogy I am justified in inferring that only among the wise of the Gentiles there is none like Him, but among the wise of Israel there is. If that is so, such a God, the like unto whom is to be found among the wise men of Israel, cannot be all-powerful. Look closely into the verse and you will find that it bears out my inference.
אֲמִינָא לֵיהּ וַדַּאי שַׁפִּיר קָא אֲמַרְתְּ. מָאן מְחַיֶּה מֵתִים אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וְאֱלִישָׁע וְאַחֲיוּ מֵתַיָיא. מָאן מוֹרִיד גְּשָׁמִים אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי אֲתָא אֵלִיָּהוּ וּמְנַע לוֹן וּנְחִית לוֹן בִּצְלוֹתֵיהּ. מָאן עֲבַד שְׁמַיָּא וְאַרְעָא אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בִּלְחוֹדוֹי, אֲתָא אַבְרָהָם אִתְקַיָימוּ בְּקִיּוּמוֹהִי בְּגִינֵיהּ. I replied to him: Indeed, what you say is actually true. Who raises the dead to life? Only the Holy One alone, blessed be He; yet Elijah and Elisha came and raised the dead to life. Who causes rain to fall? Only the Holy One alone, blessed be He; yet Elijah came and kept back the rain and then made it descend again, through his prayer. Who made heaven and earth? The Holy One alone, blessed be He; yet Abraham came and they were firmly established for his sake.
מָאן מַנְהִיג שִׁמְשָׁא אֶלָּא קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא, אֲתָא יְהוֹשֻׁעַ וְשָׁכִיךְ לֵיהּ וּפַקִּיד לֵיהּ דְּיֵקוּם עַל קִיּוּמֵיהּ וְאִשְׁתְּכַך וּכְתִיב, (יהושע י׳:י״ג) וַיִּדּוֹם הַשֶּׁמֶשׁ וְיָרֵחַ עָמָד. קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גּוֹזֵר גְּזַר דִּין אוּף הָכִי משֶׁה גָּזִיר גְּזַר דִּין וְאִתְקַיָּימוּ. וְתוּ דְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא גּוֹזֵר גִּזְרִין וְצַדִּיקַיָּא דְּיִשְׂרָאֵל מְבַטְּלִין לוֹ דִּכְתִיב, (שמואל ב כ״ג:ג׳) צַדִּיק מוֹשֵׁל יִרְאַת אֱלהִים. וְתוּ דְּאִיהוּ פַּקִּיד לוֹן לְמְהַךְ בְּאוֹרְחוֹי מַמָּשׁ לְאִתְדְּמָא לֵיהּ בְּכֹלָּא. אֲזַל הַהוּא פִּילוֹסוֹפָא וְאִתְגָיָּיר בִּכְפַר שְׁחָלַיִם וְקָרוּן לֵיהּ יוֹסֵי קְטִינָאָה. וְאוֹלִיף אוֹרַיְיתָא סַגְיָא. וְאִיהוּ בֵּין חַכִּימִין וְזַכָּאִין דְּהַהוּא אֲתַר. Who regulates the course of the sun? None but the Holy One, blessed be He; yet Joshua came and ordered it to stand still in its place and it stood still, as it is written, “And the sun stood and the moon stayed” (Jos. 10, 13). The Holy One blessed be He, issues decrees, but similarly Moses issued decrees, and they were fulfilled. Further, the Holy One, blessed be He, pronounces judgements and the righteous of Israel annul them, as it is written, “The righteous ruleth the fear of God” (II Sam. 23, 3). And further, He commanded them to follow literally in His ways, and to be like Him in every way. That philosopher then went to K’far Shekalim and became a proselyte, and was given the name of Jose Katina (humble), and he studied the Torah diligently until he became one of the most learned and pious men of that place.’
הַשְׁתָּא אִית לְאִסְתַּכְּלָא בַּקְּרָא וְהָא כְּתִיב, (ישעיהו מ׳:י״ז) כָּל הַגּוֹיִם כְּאַיִן נֶגְדוֹ. מַאי רִבּוּיָא הָכָא. אֶלָּא מִי לא יִרָאֲךָ מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם וְכִי מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם אִיהוּ וְלָאו מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל. אֶלָּא בְּכָל אֲתַר קוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא בָּעָא לְאִשְׁתַּבָּחָא בְּיִשְׂרָאֵל, וְלָא אִתְקְרֵי אֶלָא עַל יִשְׂרָאֵל בִּלְחוֹדוֹי. דִּכְתִיב, (שמות ה׳:ג׳) אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֱלֹהֵי הָעִבְרִים, וּכְתִיב, (ישעיהו מ״ד:ו׳) כֹּה אָמַר יְיָ מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל. מֶלֶךְ יִשְׂרָאֵל וַדַּאי. אָמְרוּ אוּמוֹת הָעוֹלָם פַּטְרוֹן אָחֳרָן אִית לָן בִּשְׁמַיָא דְּהָא מַלְכֵיכוֹן לָא שָׁלִיט אֶלָא עֲלַיְיכוּ בִּלְחוֹדֵיכוֹן וְעֲלָנָא לָא שָׁלִיט. ‘Now,’ continued R. Simeon, ‘we must look more closely into this verse. We remark at once that another passage says: “All the nations are as nothing before him” (Is. 40, 17). What special glorification is then here expressed? Is He only the King of the Gentiles and not the King of Israel? the explanation is this. We find in every place in the Scriptures that the Holy One, blessed be He, has desired to be glorified only by Israel and has attached His name to Israel only; so it is written: “The God of Israel”, “the God of the Hebrews” (Exod. 5, 1, 3), and further: “Thus saith the Lord, the King of Israel” (Is. 44, 6). The nations of the world therefore said: We have another Patron in heaven, since your King has dominion only over you alone and not over us.
אֲתָא קְרָא וְאָמַר מִי לֹא יִרָאֲךָ מֶלֶךְ הַגּוֹיִם (נ"א מלכא עילאה לרדאה לון ולאלקאה לון ולמעבד בהון רעותיה. כי לך יאתה לדחלא מנך לעילא ותתא. כי בכל חכמי הגוים) אִלֵּין שַׁלִּיטִין רַבְרְבָן דִּי מְמַנָּן עֲלַיְיהוּ. וּבְכָל מַלְכוּתָם בְּהַהוּא מָלְכוּ דִּלְעֵילָא. דְּהָא אַרְבַּע מַלְכְּוָון שַׁלִּיטִין אִית לְעֵילָא וְשָׁלְטִין בִּרְעוּתֵיהּ עַל כָּל שְׁאָר עַמִּין. וְעִם כָּל דָּא לֵית בְּהוּ דְּיַעֲבִיד אֲפִלּוּ מִלָּה זְעֵירָא אֶלָּא כְּמָה דְּפָּקִּיד לוֹן דִּכְתִיב, (דניאל ד׳:ל״ב) וּכְמִצְבְּיֵה עָבִיד בְּחֵיל שְׁמַיָא וְדָיְירֵי אַרְעָא. חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם אִנּוּן מְמַנָּן וְרַבְרְבָן דִּלְעֵילָא דְּחָכְמְתָא דִּלְהוֹן מִנַּיְיהוּ הֲוָה. בְּכָל מַלְכוּתָם מַלְכוּתָא דְּשָׁלִיט כְּמָה דְאִתְּמָר. וְדָא הוּא קְרָא כִּפְשָׁטֵיהּ. Hence the verse comes and says: “Who would not fear thee, O King of the Gentiles? Forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations”, alluding thereby to the great chiefs in heaven appointed over the Gentiles. The expression “and in all their royalty there is none like unto thee” alludes to the celestial government, inasmuch as there are four rulers on high who, by the will of God, rule over all the other nations; and for all that, not one of these has the power to do the smallest thing except as He commands them, as it is written: “And he doth according to his will in the host of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth” (Dan. 4, 32). “The wise ones of the Gentiles” are, then, the heavenly superintendents from whom they draw their wisdom; and the phrase “and in all their royalty” implies the heavenly over-lords of the nations, as has just been explained. This is the plain meaning of the passage.
אֲבָל בְּכָל חַכְמֵי הַגּוֹיִם וּבְכָל מַלְכוּתָם. הַאי אַשְׁכַּחְנָא בְּסִפְרֵי קַדְמָאֵי, דְּאִנּוּן מַשִּׁרְיָין וְחַיָילִין אַף עַל גַּב דְּאִתְפַּקְּדָן עַל מִלִּין דְּעָלְמָא וּפַקִּיד לְכָל חַד לְמֶעְבַּד עֲבִידְתָּא, מָאן הוּא (סתימא קדישא ולא כרעותיה) דְּיַעֲבִיד שׁוּם חַד מִנַּיְיהוּ כָּמוֹךָ. בְּגִין דְּאַנְתְּ רָשִׁים בְּעִילוּיָא, וְאַתְּ רָשִׁים בְּעוֹבָדָךְ מִכֻּלְּהוּ. וְדָא הוּא מֵאֵין כָּמוֹךָ יְיָ, מָאן הוּא סְתִימָאָה קַדִּישָׁא דְּיַעֲבִיד וְלֶהֱוֵי כָּמוֹךָ עֵילָא וְתַתָּא. וִיהֵא דָּמֵי לָךְ (בכל) (בכולא), עוֹבָדָא דְמַלְכָּא קַדִּישָׁא שָׁמַיִם וָאָרֶץ, אֲבָל אִנּוּן (ישעיה מה) תֹּהוּ וַחֲמוּדֵיהֶם בַּל יוֹעִילוּ. בְּקוּדְשָׁא בְּרִיךְ הוּא כְּתִיב בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים וְגו', בְּמַלְכוּתָם כְּתִיב וְהָאָרֶץ הָיְתָה תֹהוּ וָבֹהוּ. But in ancient books I have found it expounded as follows. Although these heavenly hosts and legions (who are “the wise of the nations and their royalty”) have the control of the affairs of this world and have each their mission allotted to them, who of them can accomplish the least thing “like unto thee”? For Thou excellest in Thy work on high and below above all of them. “There is not like unto thee, O Lord”, that is, What Holy Unknown is there who acts and is like Thee above and below, and is on an equality with Thee in all respects? The work of the Holy King is heaven and earth, but “they are vanity, and their costly idols cannot profit” (Is. 44, 9). Of the Holy One, blessed be He, it is written, “In the beginning God created etc.”, but of the lower royalty it is written “And the earth was chaos and confusion”.’
אָמַר רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן לְחַבְרַיָיא בְּנֵי הִלּוּלָא דָא, כָּל חַד מִנְּכוֹן יְקַשֵּׁט קִשּׁוּטָא חַד לְכַּלָּה. אָמַר לְרִבִּי אֶלְעָזָר בְּרֵיהּ. אֶלְּעָזָר הַב נְבַזְבְּזָא חַד לְכַּלָּה דְּהָא לְמָחָר אִסְתַּכַּל (קודשא בריך הוא) (נ"א בה) כַּד יֵעוּל לַחוּפָּה בְּאִנּוּן שִׁירִין וּשְׁבָחִין דְּיַהֲבוּ לָהּ בְּנֵי הֵיכָלָא לְקַיְּימָא קַמֵּיהּ. Said R. Simeon to the companions: ‘Come all you that participate in this bridal festivity, let each one of you prepare a decoration for the bride.’ To R. Eleazar his son he said: ‘Eleazar, offer a present to the heavenly bride so that on the morrow thou mayest be deemed worthy to behold her when she enters under the bridal canopy amidst the songs and hymns of the heavenly retinue.’